


Safety

by birdsofmalcontent



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Acquaintances to Lovers, Broken Engagement, Dream (mentioned) - Freeform, Dream Smp, Hurt/Comfort, I was surprised too, Moving In Together, Nicknames, Philza and Ranboo are also there, Rarepair, Realistic Minecraft, Romance, Sapnoblade, Sharing a Bed, Soft Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Soft Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Yes you read that right, respect
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:02:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29553234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/birdsofmalcontent/pseuds/birdsofmalcontent
Summary: Sapnap feels alone. His relationship with Karl and Quackity is slipping, he's lost his best friend, and it's too much to deal with. One night, he ends up on Techno's doorstep.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Sapnap & Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Sapnap/Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 302





	Safety

When Dream is thrown in prison, Sapnap is forced into a lot of introspection. 

He feels desperately alone, and quite against his will. 

Even though he shares a home with Karl and Quackity, they are far away, focusing on their own endeavors. Or maybe he is far away, lost in his mind and the horrors his best friend has brought down on the server. 

The horrors he aided with. The destruction of families, of people, of peace and freedom. 

Dream has always been so convincing, kindness dripping from his words like they were meant to be true. 

One night, it all gets to be too much. Karl enters their house smelling like gunpowder and electricity, won't tell them why, and Karl snaps, yells at the both of them for not trusting him enough, and Sapnap runs, runs as fast and far as he can because it's all too much. 

Eventually, his boots hit snow. It's cold, cold enough to make his fingers pink and his nose run, but he keeps running. Sapnap doesn't shuck off the thick armor adorning his body, doesn't drop the sword on his hip or the bow slung over his shoulder, just runs and sobs through the snow and the cold. 

He finds a cabin. It's a home he's heard of but never visited because he's had no need to. 

"What are you doing here?" Techno asks, looking Sapnap up and down, but his hard eyes soften as he takes in the sorry state of the man in front of him. "What happened?"

"I need to... can I come in?"

"Sure." Techno furrows his eyebrows but moves aside and Sapnap stumbles in, wiping tears from his cheeks and snow from his jacket. "Why are you here?"

"I- I don't know, I was just- I was running and I needed to stop and I-" Sapnap chokes on a sob and Techno sighs. 

"I'll make tea." Techno pours water into the kettle that hangs over the fire, then drops herbs and dried berries into the pot. Sapnap watches from the couch, knees hugged to him. 

When the tea is finished, Techno pours Sapnap a cup and takes one for himself, then sits in the comfy chair close to the fire. "So, I think you would've tried to assassinate me by this point if you were here for that, so... why have you stumbled into my house in the middle of the night?"

Sapnap explains as best he can between sobs and drinks of tea (good tea, sweet and warm). He's surprised that Techno, the Blood God, a man who's known for hating people, has let him in, but Techno listens nonetheless, nods and frowns at the appropriate times. Sapnap tries to hold back some things, like the more intimate aspects of his relationship with Dream, but somehow, he's comfortable enough in this cabin in the snow that he can freely talk without a fear that he hadn't realized he had. 

"You and I are similar," Techno says when Sapnap pauses, throat torn raw from the cold, his cries, and his lamenting. "Alone, manipulated, too-loyal warriors only used for our strength."

"You're different," Sapnap says, then realizes what he said and quickly backtracks. "You're... I don't know. I can trust you, I suppose."

"I have nothing to hide," Techno says simply. He leans back in the chair and takes a long drink of his tea. "Secrets destroy people." It's unspoken but they both know he's talking about Dream. "I respect honest people."

"Who is honest in this day and age?" Sapnap asks, finally calmed down. His throat is scratchy; the tea is helping but not enough. 

"Phil. You. Ranboo, now that he trusts me." Techno sighs. "Or maybe I just respect you. You've never hated me, it seems."

"I've never hated you," Sapnap agrees. "Respected you always. Looked up to you, almost. Even on the opposite side of a war, you were never... we never had a quarrel."

"This is the point where I ask you to join me, I suppose," Techno chuckles. "That's the straightest forward plan I can think of."

"I can't join anyone right now. Too tired, too... too everything."

"I have an extra bed if you don't want the couch."

Sapnap sleeps in Techno's room that night, under unfamiliar blankets. He wonders if Karl and Quackity are worried about him. 

Techno's the only person Sapnap's taken his armor off in front of. Even his fiances see the Netherite at all times. 

He doesn't think about much, just glances out the window at the snow falling outside before dozing into a comfortable sleep. 

****************

Sapnap doesn't know they got here, but he and Techno have been sparring together. 

For practice. 

It's not unbalanced fighting. Techno had said before their first grapple that Sapnap was the third strongest person on the server, just below him and Dream, and Sapnap's not sure he's ever gotten a better compliment. 

Their relationship is built on mutual respect. Sapnap has never hated Techno, never really viewed him as an enemy like Tommy or Wilbur, and Techno has said enough times that he views Sapnap as an equal rather than a foe. 

Sapnap barely sleeps at home anymore. Quackity and Karl don't seem to notice. It leaves a lump in his throat and anger in his chest that comes out in aggression in his and Techno's fights. 

Outside of training, they talk. Sapnap knew Techno was smart, but they hold conversations about literature and fighting styles and the landscape and of the politics of their world. Techno has strong arguments for anarchy and Sapnap finds himself wanting to join the Syndicate more than once. 

Philza is immediately accepting of Sapnap into their little pseudo community. Sapnap was nervous at first, fearful of the legendary man, but Phil simply gave him a hug and spoke to him as though they were old friends. 

Ranboo has always been a friend and Sapnap assists him in the building of his house. Sapnap trades with the villagers and breeds the cows and feeds the dogs when they need it and he's more comfortable than he's ever been. 

Sapnap builds a base close by. His bed stays in Techno's room, but it's nice to have a place to keep his own things. He's still worried about intruding on Techno's life. 

He asks Techno when his stay will be up. Techno replies that he will always be welcome. 

They fall asleep together on the couch one night, Sapnap's head on Techno's shoulder. It's warm and safe. 

*******************

Sapnap finally talks to Quackity and Karl about their relationship. It's barely a relationship anymore, they've gone different ways in life. 

When Sapnap shows up on Techno's doorstep again, he lets himself in and Techno hugs him. Sapnap cries into Techno's shoulder, apologizing for it the whole time, and Techno promises it's fine. 

He falls asleep with his head on Techno's chest, Techno's hands running through his hair. It feels intimate and terrifying but Techno seems fine with it. 

In the morning, Sapnap feels numb and cold like he's done every time after going through a breakup. Techno makes him tea and Phil bakes them a pumpkin pie and they all sit in a little treehouse that Phil built in the woods near the house, and Sapnap feels better. 

Techno laces their fingers together as they walk back. 

Out of respect, Sapnap thinks. 

It's nice to have a steady presence around him. 

**************

Two weeks after his breakup from his fiances, Sapnap becomes the third official member of the Syndicate. He likes the cool stone of the place, worn from the lapping waves of the seawater around him. The whole stronghold smells salty and wet. 

Techno is careful in all his movements around Sapnap, treating Sapnap almost like he's something breakable. It makes Sapnap less annoyed than he should; Techno doesn't treat him like a weapon, and it's refreshing for someone to be gentle. 

Eventually, though, Sapnap gets annoyed with the carefulness and confronts Techno about it. 

"I'm fine, you know that?" He spits one day after their grappling comes to a close. Techno is rewrapping a wound on his leg after Sapnap accidentally tore the bandages open. 

"I do."

"Then why do you treat me like a flower?"

"How would you like to be treated?"

"Like..." And for once, Sapnap is at a loss for words. He would say 'fighter', 'warrior', but that's what hurts him, makes him want to scream into the world that he's more than just a loyal, mindless weapon. "I don't know."

"You're not a flower, and to say you're a fire seems too boring to point out. I'm still figurin' you out, Sapnap, and I don't want to break you in the process."

"You cannot break me more than I already am," he replies, and with those words, he realizes that Techno is doing the opposite of breaking him. 

"Anyone can be broken more. It's a cruel trick that one has to learn. One can be at the lowest they've ever been and an unkind hand will crack everything they've been holdin' on to." Techno looks up, meets Sapnap's eyes, and the look he gives nearly makes Sapnap cry. "I don't want to break you."

"I don't want you to break me."

Techno smiles and clasps their hands together. Something warm ignites in his chest and heats him from the inside. 

Sapnap is not as sad as he should be about losing his lovers. 

Techno respects him, and he respects Techno. 

**************

Techno begins to jokingly call him "Petal" and Sapnap likes it too much to make him stop. 

It's a fresh nickname, so much warmer than the "Pandas" that once fell out of Dream's mouth. 

When Sapnap was "Pandas", he was just Dream's. 

When he's "Petal", he's his own. 

Everything that progresses with Techno is left unspoken. They exchange respect through cooked meals and cleaned weapons, fixed armor pieces and slain mobs while they walk together. 

Sapnap begins to sleep in Techno's bed, snuggled against Techno's broad body. The first time, they use the excuse that the wind is too cruel outside. 

The next times, they don't speak, just retire together, always with Techno's strong arms wrapped tight around Sapnap like they're holding him there and keeping him safe. 

*************

During their weekly hangout, George suggests that maybe Sapnap should kiss Techno just to try it out. 

Sapnap says that George should not be giving relationship advice considering that his own boyfriend is in prison. 

He does wonder what it would be like to kiss Techno, though. He guesses it would be gentle, because Techno is gentle with him. 

*****************

Sapnap likes being Techno's "Petal". 

He likes when Techno growls when he's upset. 

He likes the way Techno makes rabbit stew. 

He likes the way Techno cares for his polar bear (Steve is a sweetheart if you give him fish) and the wolves and his horse. 

He likes the way Techno talks about war and peace and the logistics of killing spiders. 

And he likes how Techno kisses him. 

It just happens one evening, when they're both sleepy and warmed by the fire. Sapnap initiates it, carefully presses his lips against Techno's, and Techno kisses him back. 

It's soft and sweet. 

He feels safe when he kisses Techno. 

They still spar together, but Sapnap lets himself relish the gentle touches when they're finished, when Techno bandages his wounds and kisses his knuckles. 

Techno always likes it when Sapnap cooks for them. He kisses Sapnap's cheek when he's standing at the stove. 

It's domestic bliss, something Sapnap doesn't think he would've found if he was still with Karl and Quackity.

He's happy, he's safe, and he loves Techno. 

Who would've guessed?


End file.
